“We don’t want a seat in charity. We want our right,” said Jamaat-i-Islami Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman at a press conference in Karachi where he forfeited his Sindh Assembly seat.

He said he knew that the heart of Karachi “beat with the JI”. Acknowledging that some may not consider his decision to be the right one, he said, “Even if they have erased us, they can’t erase us from people’s hearts. We will fight for the people, democratically, hold peaceful demonstrations.”

He further said that the nation “knew everything” due to social media and a “fake mandate” could not be imposed on the people.

He called for making the election results in Karachi null and void and for holding the exercise afresh. Calling on the chief justice of Pakistan to take notice, he asked, “Chief justice sahib, where do the people go?”

Opinion

Editorial

Missing in action
17 Mar, 2026

Missing in action

NOT exactly known for playing a proactive role in protecting the interests of Muslim nations and populations...
Risk to stability
Updated 17 Mar, 2026

Risk to stability

THE risks to Pakistan’s fragile economic recovery from the US-Israel war on Iran cannot be dismissed. Yet the...
Enrolment push
17 Mar, 2026

Enrolment push

THE federal government has embarked upon the welcome initiative to enrol 25,000 out-of-school children in Islamabad...
Holding the line
16 Mar, 2026

Holding the line

PAKISTAN’S long battle against polio has recently produced encouraging signs. Data from the national eradication...
Power self-reliance
Updated 16 Mar, 2026

Power self-reliance

PAKISTAN’S transition to domestic sources of electricity is a welcome development for a country that has long been...
Looking for safety
16 Mar, 2026

Looking for safety

AS the Middle East conflict enters its third week, the war’s most enduring victims are not those who wage it....